First Connection

From Coder Merlin
Within these castle walls be forged Mavens of Computer Science ...
— Merlin, The Coder

Coder Merlin is a cloud-based server where we’ll be doing most of our exercises. To access Merlin, you'll need a secure shell client.

If you’re using a Mac or a Linux-based device, you'll probably have a built-in client that you can access from the terminal.

If you’re using a Windows-based device, you can access a terminal by installing Google Chrome, and then within Google Chrome typing "Secure Shell Extension" and then installing the extension. The Windows Terminal can also be used to connect if installed.

Either way, you'll need a connection string to access the server. The connection string begins with your first name and last name separated by a hyphen, for example: john-williams. The rest of the connection string is @ssh.codermerlin.academy

For John Williams, the entire connection string would be:

 john-williams@ssh.codermerlin.academy

After you're connected, you'll be prompted to enter your password. After a successful logon, you'll land in the shell.


Hint.pngHelpful Hint
You won't see your password being echoed to the terminal as you type it. This occurs to keep others from easily seeing your password. Just know that your typing is being received correctly.


CautionWarnIcon.png
The correct connection string, like many identifiers that you'll encounter in computer science, must be entered exactly. There is no tolerance for any variance. As such, pay close attention to the requirements. If you make a mistake, you could be locked out of the server for a time. If this happens, verify the connection string and your password, wait a while, then try again.